PathProx-a runway incursion alerting system

This paper describes a Runway Incursion Advisory and Alerting System (RIAAS), intended to help minimize the number of runway incursions and provide conflict alerts for all aircraft and vehicles on the airport surface. PathProx is an RIAAS avionics system designed to provide timely alerts directly to the pilot. Airport surface incursions have been identified as one of the most significant safety hazards in civil aviation, and yet thus far, there is no operational system to alert pilots automatically at the onset of such conflicts. PathProx is designed to monitor aircraft that are either on the airport surface area, or are still within the airport´s arrival and departure zones. The prototype design specifies that the system is activated whenever an aircraft enters an arrival or departure zone associated with a runway. ADS-B and/or TIS traffic data from other aircraft and ground vehicles within the proximity of this zone are processed by the system, which tracks their movement. Decision rules are set up to issue alerts based on the states and proximity of the aircraft. The goal of the system when implemented is a reduction in the number of runway incursions and also an improvement in the reaction time by pilots to avoid such conflicts